Balwant Singh has always been my side– Manvir Singh

The Blue Tigers are up against the Maldives for the SAFF Cup crown.

The man of the moment, Indian National Team striker Manvir Singh who came up with two delectable strikes against Pakistan admitted that since making his National Team debut against Mauritius he has become a more “disciplined” player.

“Discipline is something which cannot be ever compromised when you are playing for the National Team. It leaves a huge impression in the build-up of a person’s character, especially a player’s. It helps us build our character from within,” he stated. The Punjab-born striker shared that Balwant Singh has always been by his side always and his invaluable inputs have always come handy to him.

“Ballu-paaji has always been just a phone call away. In 2013, when I started playing in JCT Academy he came to know about me. After I joined Mohammedan Sporting, I met him for the first time. He always shares his experiences with me regarding the technicalities of the game, decision making and many more. I fall short of words to thank him. He is just like my Bade bhaiya in the football fraternity,” Manvir uttered.

Manvir who has scored three goals in the SAFF Suzuki Cup till now credited National Coach Stephen Constantine to “make me believe in myself.’’

ALSO READ:

• The Maldives are tough opponents– Stephen Constantine

• Talking Points: Can Manvir Singh challenge for a regular start in Indian colours?

• The captain's armband is a huge honour and brings more responsibility– Subhashish Bose and Anirudh Thapa

“I had played in AFC U-23 Qualifiers under him and then I was called for the Tri-Nation Series. The sheer dedication of our coach and the self-belief that he instils among players does the trick. He has made me believe in myself as a player,” Manvir said.

Manvir Singh also echoed Constantine’s sentiment reiterating the “GPS systems have been of huge help.’’

“The GPS system has been a huge aid to the players. We can assess ourselves on a day-to-day basis and the self-evaluation helps every one of them to set the target,’’ he said. “We get to know many minute details akin to the number of sprints, maximum speed attained, etc. The data always helps one to get a clear picture of oneself and evaluate based on the day’s performance.”